Theme: "it's kind of a BIG deal
Theme can generally be defined as a "central or recurring idea that is examined in a piece of writing in the form of a __________ or ____________."
life lesson or moral
What sad event does Marial's turning up missing in the morning foreshadow in the novel?
Marial was eaten by a lion
Salva's uncle shoots this animal so that the group he's traveling with can eat. However, because the group hasn't eaten in so long, they all get sick.
an antelope (a Topi)
Nya and her family struggle to make a decision about whether or not to take Akeer (Nya's younger sister) to ____________.
the medical clinic
Every year, diarrhea kills this many children worldwide:
(a) approximately 500,000 (half a million) children
(b) approximately 10,000 children
(c) 1 million children
(d) approximately 50,000
(a) approximately 500,000 (half a million) children
Which of the following is NOT something a reader would think about if they're considering the THEME of a narrative?
a) human history
b) human nature
c) life lesson(s)
d) morals
a) human history
We all know that FORESHADOWING is when the author provides hints at what's going to happen next in the story, but WHY does the author do that? Eg: what is the main purpose of the author using FORESHADOWING as a literary device?
To build TENSION/SUSPENSE within the narrative.
Salva's uncle emerges as a leader amongst the traveling group for the following TWO reasons.
Hint: Subsequently, the TWO reasons almost go together, hand-in-hand.
1) He's served in the army before (he's a veteran)
2) He has a rifle
How many days travel is the clinic from where Nya and her family are currently located?
It's a three day journey
The following are all examples of _________, which is a “quick” observation that contains a general truth.
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“Don't judge a book by its cover.”
“Live to fight another day.”
aphorisms
Fill in the blank:
Theme is not usually ________ in the text. However, THEME can generally be summarized in one sentence, and must be "pulled out" from the events that occur in the story. The author will generally never tell you the theme of his/her story, the reader must discover it on their own.
stated (said, mentioned, etc)
In the opening scenes of a western movie, the good guy enters a bar, has a drink and leaves. The bad guy scowls (eg: makes an angry face) and spits on the floor.
Q: Which event is MOST LIKELY going to happen, given what we know about FORESHADOWING and narratives?
(a) the good guy will take down the bad guy
(b) the good guy and bad guy are going to experience a conflict at some point
(c) the bad guy is going to kill the good guy
(d) the story will ultimately have a happy ending
(b) the good guy and bad guy are going to experience a conflict at some point
Salva's tribe, the Dinka, and Nya's tribe, the Nuer are longstanding enemies in the region. They often get into bloody (and sometimes deadly) skirmishes as they fight over this invaluable resource.
Water
Nya's mother DOES NOT like the lake because battles over resources always emerge, and they've put her ___________ and ___________ in danger.
Husband and son
As a class, you read an entire letter that was written in incorrect gibberish. Yet, 95% of the class was able to read it. This is because the human brain doesn't read the individual letters of a word separately, but rather the word as a whole. The only letters that "need" to be in the correct place are the ____________ of the word in order for you to interpret (eg: read) the word correctly.
the first and last letter
Themes DO NOT describe particular events or characters that appear in a story. Instead themes are BROAD (general) statements (eg: truths) that can apply to __________.
everyone
Which of the following is NOT an example of FORESHADOWING?
(A) I am going to tell you about what happened on the camping trip shortly but first I must tell you where we went.
(B) Louise was really angry, and I’ll tell you why in a moment, she was so mad that she punched Andrew in the nose.
(C) This is the third time Reggie has lost an accounting job. He needs to do better.
(D) The most terrible thing happened on that stormy night, the war between evil and good had begun.
(C) This is the third time Reggie has lost an accounting job. He needs to do better.
*Think about it... which of the choices does NOT build tension?
It's the method Salva and the group he's traveling with use to cross the Nile river. Eg: how do they plan on crossing the dangerous river?
They weave together reeds to make shallow canoes in order to cross the river.
It's the reason why Salva and his family were rarely hunger in their home/village? Because of these resources, Salva and his family were considered among the "better-off" families in the village of Loun-Ariik.
They owned many heads of cattle
How many human beings do lions eat in the wild every year?
(a) 200
(b) 1000
(c) 50
(d) 500
(a) 200
Which of the following is NOT a central theme of, "A Long Walk to Water" through chapter 8?
a) Nature can present many challenges to humans
b) People need to depend on one another to survive
c) Family is our most important support
d) Individuals are able to survive in challenging environments in remarkable ways
c) Family is our most important support
[PARAGRAPH #1] Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother. Her mother asked her to take her old and lonely grandmother some food one day. “Don’t stop along the way. Go straight to your Grandma’s house and back. Don’t talk to any strangers and watch out for the wolf in the woods! Now get along!”
[PARAGRAPH #2] The wolf went up to Little Red Riding Hood and told her that he knew a shortcut. Little Red Riding Hood thought back to what her mother told her. “Don’t talk to any strangers and watch out for the wolf in the woods!” But it was too late, she had already listened to the wolf’s directions.
Paragraph #1 contains an example of foreshadowing. However, paragraph #2 does not.
Q: Paragraph #2 contains what literary element that is closely related to foreshadowing? Hint: When you think about it, _______ is kinda the opposite of foreshadowing.
Flashback
Two answers to this prompt:
It's the direction that Salva and the rest of the group are traveling AND the country that they hope to reach one day?
They're traveling east, and they are hoping to reach Ethiopia
It's the special treat that Salva's father would sometimes buy for his family. Coincidentally, Salva would sometimes be so loaded with goods (from the market) that he would have to wedge these items into the spokes of his bike in order to transport them home.
(a bag of) mangoes
It's the region of Sudan that has been devastated MOST by civil war in "A Long Walk to Water". It is the most devastated, and fought over area of land in the whole country.
Darfur